Google’s flagship smartwatch: Google Pixel Watch 2 review

The Google Pixel Watch 2 is the successor to Google’s first-generation smartwatch, with clever and much-needed upgrades to set it apart from the Google Pixel Watch 1.

At an RRP of £349 (although sometimes on offer for less) the Google Pixel 2, released in October 2023, is a premium smartwatch that packs a punch. Its upgrades include a faster CPU, speedy charging, longer battery life and more health sensors that compete with the Apple Watch Series 9 – plus it’s cheaper.

According to Google, the Pixel Watch 2 lasts 24 hours on one charge, even with the Always On Display, and is ready for sleep tracking. The slight tweaks in design also make it more lightweight than the Pixel Watch 1, and less cumbersome for bedtime wear.

If you're a non-Apple user, it's an ideal Android smartwatch. The Google OS integrates seamlessly with apps and notifications are delivered in crisp screen quality, along with a mini keyboard to type responses or send emojis.

What’s The Best has spent over a month testing out the latest generation Pixel Watch wearing it every day, to the gym for weightlifting, and circuit classes, and testing its ability on automatic tracking. Read on to find out what commercial content editor Natalie Corner, thinks of the smart wearable below.

Google Pixel Watch 2: Is it worth it?

There are plenty of options on the smartwatch market to suit your needs, so what is different about the Google Pixel 2 and is it worth spending £349?

If you’re only concerned about data on workouts, step count and other daily activities, there are fitness trackers for under £100 available – look towards brands like Fitbit’s existing range or Huawei budget offerings and skip the Google Pixel 2.

However, if you want deeper health insights such as blood oxygen monitoring, accurate heart rate data, stress level checking, plus integration with your Android smartphone, including smart notifications, apps such as Gmail, Audible, Spotify, and WhatsApp, plus text-to-speech for faster screen reading then a smartwatch like the Google Pixel 2 is worth the investment.

Read on for our detailed review.

Sleep tracking and menstrual health

The sleep tracking elements are where the watch stands out for me, and as an existing Fitbit user, it was easy to install the Google Pixel 2. Plus, there was a complimentary six-month Fitbit Premium subscription on offer with the purchase, so I was able to access more in-depth insights, such as what type of ‘animal’ I was.

After it had collected 14 days of sleep data, Fitbit explained I have a ‘parrot’ profile with a ‘lively attention span and lots of energy’. In the report it adds I keep a consistent bedtime, don’t sleep too early or too late and get a good amount of sleep each night. I’m also in the ‘ideal range’ compared to other Fitbit users, for deep sleep, REM, and restorative sleep.

What I’d be interested to see Fitbit and Google further develop is more menstrual health data. If it’s already keeping track of my skin temperature, sleeping patterns, blood oxygen and heart rate, I’d like to know what differences appear when I log any menstrual cycle data. It doesn’t quite connect the dots, and I think this could be crucial for women and people who have periods to notice PMS symptoms or any notable changes as they age. It would also be useful for fertility health if the user were inclined to track this.

More app choices

There are a delightful number of features on the Google Pixel 2, and even more impressive is the option to download extra apps to integrate your phone. Previous smartwatches I’ve tested out have promised Spotify capabilities that didn’t seem to work or Gmail access that didn’t send notifications. Still, the Pixel 2 provides access to these, and they work seamlessly with my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

It may be obvious to point out that the screen is small and round, but when you compare it to an Apple Watch or Fitbit Versa, as a smartwatch, the Pixel is at a disadvantage because the square design of the former watches has more screen space. It's not much bother to me, but when attempting to type a reply on WhatsApp, the miniature keyboard is tricky to tap (and I have slim fingers). However, the speech-to-text function does essentially fix that problem if you’re comfortable speaking into your watch like some secret spy.

Any downsides?

It’s a real niggle for me when smartwatches feature a crown. Why does a touchscreen smartwatch need a physical dial that, when you press it takes you to the same apps that you can access via the main menu with a few simple taps?

For me, not only was it an unnecessary confusing extra, but it also got in the way when I worked out. I had the same gripe with Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatch. For example, I wear the watch on my left wrist, and when I do press-ups, the moment my wrist bends, the button which sits on the right side of the watch face, activates. There is an option to lock the screen, but then I found it quite fussy to reactivate the screen during my workout.

As much as Google promises a 24-hour charge with Always On Display, this only occurs with minimal usage during that time. As soon as you complete more than one activity, the battery will not last the day, unfortunately. I found that by the end of a working day at around 6 pm it required charging if I’d worked out in the morning. Although it juices up to 50 per cent within about 30 minutes thanks to the addition of four charging pins on the back, it’s another device that needs plugging in – so bear that in mind if you want to use it during the night to collect sleep data.

Price and competition

At an RRP of £399 with 4G or £349 for the Wi-Fi option, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is a costly investment if you don’t need to be connected 24-7 to a device. However, it provides a wealth of health data and auto GPS-tracking (with 4G) to track my route - something which the Fitbit 4 used to struggle with.

It seamlessly replaced any need for me to pull out my phone, so I was able to pay for my shopping and react quickly to any notifications with Google Wallet, voice calling, and Google Assistant prompts.

As a dedicated Android user, I couldn’t knowledgeably compare the performance to one of its main premium competitors, the Apple Watch. But when you consider the Google Pixel isn't compatible with Apple OS, it would be more logical to compare the price to a Samsung Galaxy Watch. Depending on the model the Galaxy Watch4 starts at around £149 or you’re looking upwards of £300 for the latest Galaxy Watch6 Pro at between £324-£349.

Google Pixel Watch 2: Verdict

I’d recommend this Google Pixel Watch 2 for someone who is already an Android user, uses Google apps and is familiar with Fitbit. It was easy to integrate the Pixel Watch into my daily routine.

While I’d prefer more connectivity with the health and the menstrual data, I was particularly impressed with the Safety Check feature. It gave me the option to set up a timer if I was walking home alone at night or going on a solo hike, and if the timer ran out with no response, it would send an alert to the emergency contacts I had registered when I set it up.

The design of the Pixel 2 is sleek and lightweight; it’s barely noticeable when I worked out in the gym and stayed firmly in place for certain routines – but became a little less responsive during a hot yoga session due to the heat and sweat. Also, there are several different exercises that the Pixel 2 auto-recognises, but when the circuits option didn’t necessarily match what I was doing, I often manually had to switch to the workout option.

If I were to be picky, it’d be too bulky for me to sleep in comfortably. Something more slimline like the Fitbit Charge 5 would be my preference. Even though it charges up quicker than any other smartwatch I’ve tested, as with other similar devices with multiple features, the battery drains just as fast. On a non-workout day, I could get 24 hours, but it did die a couple of times during the night, so my sleep data wasn’t completed.

It's hard to ignore just how incredible the screen quality is; it replicated my WhatsApp chat menu perfectly, and I could even see the small colour photos of my contacts and colourful emojis. Plus, the chance to reply in full using a keyboard, using Spotify to select and control my music and check my body responses to stress during the day were all insightful.

More items to consider:

Google Pixel Watch 2: Who tested it?

Natalie Corner gym hops on ClassPass testing out circuit classes, is forever on leg day to get those gains recently smashing a PB of 95kg hip thrust and back squat. For What’s The Best, Natalie often tests out the latest fitness tech and smart wearables such as her beloved Fitbit Charge 5.

How the product was tested

Over one month, Natalie wore the watch throughout each day, tracking workouts in the gym, step count accuracy during walks, responsiveness in different environments, as well as sleep tracking and water resistance in the shower.

Natalie Corner is the Deputy Commercial Content Editor for Bauer Media, working across brands such as What’s The Best, Yours, Mother&Baby, Heat and Closer, specialising in lifestyle and fitness content.

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